10 WWE Wrestlers Who Should Have Bypassed NXT
3. Io Shirai
Shirai may not have won the Mae Young Classic in her TV debut, but she did make it to the finals and proved to the world that she was worthy of the main roster. Like Kairi Sane, she made a considerable name for herself over at Stardom but added stints in Mexico to her resume that helped her develop her style.
NXT has been great to her, but it wasn't where she should have started.
One of the best aspects of her time in NXT has been the development of her heel character. Despite that, this could have happened just as well on the main roster and would have promoted a positive outlook on the fact that you can shift your gimmick once you've made it to the main promotion, not just in developmental.
Overall, her in-ring style is both chaotic and controlled, making her matches unpredictable and exciting. This sense of creativity and spontaneity are sorely needed on the main roster, so not placing her there right away was an oversight on their part.
It's only a matter of time before she lands on SmackDown/Raw, and it'll be a long time coming.